Baucus plans TPA markup soon
January 16, 2014 | 01:52 PM
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said today he intends to mark up the trade promotion authority bill “soon” after Congress returns from the Martin Luther King Day one-week break, Washington Trade Daily reported today.
After a hearing on TPA, Baucus said he is not certain whether to hold a hearing at which Obama administration officials would testify before holding the markup.
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Orrin Hatch, D-Utah, said U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman declined to testify at the hearing, WTD said.
“If the administration does not get more involved in this effort to pass trade negotiating authority, we’re not going to be successful. It's just that simple,” Hatch said.
Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., also noted the administration’s absence, saying “We need to hear from the administration. We need to have them here.”
USTR has noted that Froman has been spending time on Capitol Hill urging members to support TPA.
After a hearing on TPA, Baucus said he is not certain whether to hold a hearing at which Obama administration officials would testify before holding the markup.
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Orrin Hatch, D-Utah, said U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman declined to testify at the hearing, WTD said.
“If the administration does not get more involved in this effort to pass trade negotiating authority, we’re not going to be successful. It's just that simple,” Hatch said.
Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., also noted the administration’s absence, saying “We need to hear from the administration. We need to have them here.”
USTR has noted that Froman has been spending time on Capitol Hill urging members to support TPA.
